Organisation of environmental management
The University's environmental management work is an integral part of its day-to-day operations. General issues are handled by the University's management, while issues relating to specific parts of the organisation that are dealt with by the environmental groups that exist at each unit and in which all unit and department heads are included.
The environmental management work is coordinated centrally by a system manager and a convenor of the environmental audit group. Each unit has an environmental coordinator who assists the unit's managers in their environmental work, and internal environmental auditors who carry out regular audits of the University's environmental work.
The document Organisation of the University's Environmental Management System Pdf, 293 kB. (in Swedish) describes roles and meeting series in the University's environmental management work in more detail.
Environmental assessment and environmental objectives
In order to set goals and plan measures to improve the impact we have on the environment; we need to know where we stand. Through an environmental assessment, we map the impact of our activities on the environment and identify significant environmental aspects, the areas where the environmental impact is greatest. The environmental assessment also includes an analysis of the risks and opportunities for our operations and the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
The significant environmental aspects identified in our operations are education, research, collaboration, procurement and purchasing, and business travel.
You can read more about the environmental assessment Pdf, 345 kB. (in Swedish) and see what is on the environmental aspects list Pdf, 211 kB. (in Swedish).
Based on our significant environmental aspects, we set overall sustainability objectives, which are then concretized in detailed objectives and activities in the units' organisational plans.
Monitoring and continuous improvement
The University´s Environmental work is continuously monitored in the environmental groups and with the University's management and is regularly reviewed by internal environmental auditors. Once a year, an external environmental audit is carried out by a certification company, which checks whether we continue to meet the requirements for certification according to ISO 14001. Deviations and suggestions for improvement resulting from environmental audits or reported by employees and students are an important part of the continuous improvement process.
Each year, the results achieved are summarized in a report to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Education.
The summary of results, together with the audit results, deviations and suggestions for improvement, form part of the basis for management decisions on how the environmental management system is to be developed and the focus of the environmental work.